Ivan W. Moyer Jr.

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Mar 9, 2019 at 4:48 PMMar 9, 2019 at 4:48 PM

Ivan W. Moyer Jr.

February 28, 2019

Popular Penn State “Lima” (Brandywine) Instructor dies

Ivan W. Moyer Jr., a popular instructor at Penn State-Lima (now Brandywine) from 1972-1995 died Feb. 28, 2019 at age 86 after a long physical decline following two hip fractures in 2015. He was predeceased by his son, Douglas S. Moyer, in 2008. He is survived by two sisters, Phyllis Millard and Freda Zettlemoyer; his daughter, Judie McCoyd; foster son, Emanuel Njomo; grandchildren, Toni, Ryan, Krista and Ian; and Emmanuel’s four sons, and three great-grandchildren, Mehki, Hannah, Sydney; as well as a nephew and two nieces, Mark, Kay and Carol.

Mr. Moyer always marched to his own drummer. Born to an Evangelical United Brethren minister, as a young man he was musical and a bit rebellious. He graduated from Albright College (1954) where he met his wife-to-be, Dr. Kathleen Moyer, in the choir he conducted. He was also an active APO fraternity member. With a Master of Divinity from Union Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He became an ordained United Methodist minister, yet only served a church that he helped found Park Forest United Methodist Church just outside State College from 1957 to 1965, because of his growing skepticism of institutionalized religion.

By then, he and Kathy had two children and moved to Columbus, Ohio, where Ivan was a counselor for Ohio State University. They brought along a full pipe organ that he had acquired and which he installed in the family’s home with the console in the living room and the pipes filling the dining room. During the turbulence of the 1960s to 70s, he and Kathy fostered a young man from Cameroon, Africa, Emanuel, as he began college in the U.S. and became part of the family. The Moyers moved back to the Philadelphia area in late 1972 so Ivan could teach individual and family studies at Penn State-Lima. The pipe organ once again moved with them and was installed in the family home in Upper Darby.

Ivan was a popular instructor who zoomed onto campus on his Yamaha motorcycle. Later, he became very involved in the Poconos, riding motorcycles, hanging out at TIFL (“This is Fine Living,” fraternity brother Andy Thompson’s cabin), riding with many motorcyclist friends, and beginning an ill-fated business (Custom Security Systems) with a prior student and close friend John Mooney. He provided his bass voice to many choirs including Singing City. After a divorce and retirement in the mid-1990s, he built a house around the pipe organ in the Poconos while maintaining many friendships and riding motorcycles and 4-wheel vehicles. As he aged, he moved to York, Pa. to the Country Meadows retirement community where he was close to his younger sister’s family. During these years his son, Douglas, and nephew, Clark Allen, died. After his hip fractures in 2015, he returned to the Philadelphia area so Judie could assist with his care, and the move allowed him to renew important relationships from earlier in his life. Ivan resided at Rosemont Presbyterian Village until he could no longer live independently and then moved to Broomall Presbyterian nursing care in late 2017. Whether re-embracing his faith while wondering if he might get medical marijuana, or being flirtatious to the sound of classical hymns, Ivan was one-of-a kind. He left the world beloved of many who were charmed by his out-of-the-ordinary flair.

In lieu of flowers, please make a charitable contribution to the most progressive entity you can. Services are at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 5 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster (https://www.uuclonline.org/), where the pipe organ found its home after Ivan’s move from the Poconos. See CremationSocietyofPA.com for updates.

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